DeMaio, Jorgensen, and Simon’s Congressional Republicans Take Their Repeal Obsession to the Radio

Speaker John Boehner’s House has been the least productive in history – thanks to 46 obsessive votes to repeal the health care law and no votes to move forward on bipartisan legislation to pass a budget, immigration reform, a farm bill or the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Reports say this Congress will enact fewer laws than at any point in the past 66 years.

Instead, Congressional Republicans are spending their time launching baseless political attacks on the radio to support the campaigns of Carl DeMaio, Kirk Jorgensen, and Dr. Fred Simon—all as a part of their relentless repeal agenda obsession. DeMaio, Jorgensen, and Simon would join Washington Republicans’ in their fixation on health reform repeal above all else, letting gridlock and dysfunction would continue.

“Congressional Republicans can’t let go of their health reform repeal fixation, and they are counting on Carl DeMaio, Kirk Jorgensen, and Fred Simon to carry on their partisan campaign to protect insurance companies at the expense of the middle class,” said Matt Inzeo of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “While the to-do list for San Diego and the country grows, Carl DeMaio, Kirk Jorgensen, and Fred Simon’s Congressional Republican leadership keeps beating the repeal drum instead of working to get things done.”

BACKGROUND

USA Today: Congress On Track To Be Least Productive In 66 Years. In November 2013, USA Today reported the following:“Congress is on track to beat its own low record of productivity, enacting fewer laws this year than at any point in the past 66 years. It’s a continuing slide of productivity that began in 2011, after Republicans recaptured the House majority in the 2010 elections, and the ability to find common ground has eluded the two parties while the legislative to-do list piles up. The 112th Congress, covering 2011-12, emerged as the least productive two-year legislating period on record, while 2013 is on track to become the least productive single year in modern history.” [USA Today, 11/30/13]

Washington Post: 113th Congress Is Going Down In History For Inaction, Despite Long To-Do List. In December 2013, the Washington Post reported the following: “According to congressional records, there have been fewer than 60 public laws enacted in the first 11 months of this year, so below the previous low in legislative output that officials have already declared this first session of the 113th Congress the least productive ever. In 1995, when the newly empowered GOP congressional majority confronted the Clinton administration, 88 laws were enacted, the record low in the post-World War II era.” [Washington Post, 12/2/13]

House Republicans Have Voted 46 Times to Repeal or Dismantle the Affordable Care Act. “Republican elected officials have seen the Affordable Care Act as essentially unfixable—that's why House Republicans voted 46 times to repeal or delay the implementation of the law, instead of working with the White House over the past three years to identify and solve problems within it of the sort that tend to accumulate in any such massive piece of legislation.” [The Atlantic, 11/27/13]

Each Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act Costs Taxpayers $1.45 Million. “Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote for the 37th time to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care act. The political theater will give conservatives fodder for their constituents, but will end up costing voters even more. Last year, CBS News calculated that the first 33 votes to repeal health care reform took up approximately 80 hours of floor time from the House, or roughly two weeks. The Congressional Research Service said it costs $24 million to run the House for a week, so the first 33 votes cost taxpayers approximately $48 million. The numbers translate to approximately $1.45 million per vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act in the House of Representatives. Adding in the three votes since CBS News’ report last year plus Thursday’s planned vote would add $5.8 million to the total.” [CBS Miami, 5/16/13]